The present invention relates to packaged cartridgeless feed roll assembly for use with a master processing apparatus.
It is a common practice to protect documents and other items such as business cards by laminating them in clear plastic coverings. It is also a common practice to make articles such as stickers and labels by a process of adhesive transfer. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,584,962 and 5,580,417 are directed to devices which are capable of performing both laminating and adhesive transfer operations.
Typically, the feed roll assemblies of such devices are provided by separate, unjoined feed rolls (as in the ""962 patent) or self-contained cartridge assemblies wherein the feed rolls are joined together by a cartridge for mounting to the apparatus (as in the ""417 patent). With separate feed rolls, much of the feed material may be wasted when aligning the lead end portions thereof for insertion into the master processing assembly of the apparatus. In particular, the user may misaligned the lead end portions of the stock materials when adhering the same together and the misaligned ends must be cut off, discarded and the user must then attempt to properly align the new lead portions. To this end, prior art self-contained cartridge assemblies have had feed rolls rotatably mounted within them with their lead end portions adhered together in properly aligned fashion for mounting to the apparatus and easy insertion of the lead end portions into the master processing assembly of the apparatus. Although these cartridges greatly facilitate the use for the end user, additional manufacturing steps and parts are required to produce these cartridge assemblies, thus making them a more expensive alternative.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,146,490 discloses a web feed leader designed to help the end user align the lead end portions of the stock materials for insertion between the nip rollers of a master processing apparatus. Although the leader of the ""490 patent is useful and helps to reduce the waste associated with failed attempts to properly align the stock material lead end portions, it does not entirely eliminate that problem.
Consequently, it would be desirable to provide a feed roll assembly that has the advantages of cartridge-based feed roll assemblies and feed roll assemblies having separate and unjoined feed rolls.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to meet the above-mentioned need. In order to achieve this object, the present invention provides a cartridgeless feed roll assembly package to be used in conjunction with a master processing apparatus for processing a master, the apparatus comprising a frame, and a master processing assembly comprising a pair of cooperating structures constructed and arranged to receive substrates therebetween. The processing assembly is constructed and arranged to perform a master processing operation wherein the cooperating structures apply pressure to the substrates received therebetween and then subsequently discharge the substrates. The packaged cartridgeless feed roll assembly comprises a feed roll assembly comprising a first feed roll carrying a supply of a first stock material having a lead end portion; and a second feed roll carrying a supply of a second stock material having a lead end portion, at least one of the first and second stock materials carrying a layer of adhesive. The feed rolls are joined together without the use of a cartridge body structure as a result of the lead end portions of the stock materials being secured together with side edges of the stock materials substantially aligned with one another. The first and second feed rolls are removably and individually mountable to the frame to enable the secured lead end portions of the stock materials to be fed together between the cooperating structures of the master processing assembly so as to enable the aforesaid master processing operation to be performed by advancing the master and the stock materials through the master processing assembly with the cooperating structures applying pressure to the stock materials so as to cause adhesive bonding between the stock materials and the master and then subsequently discharge the processed master and stock materials.
The packaged assembly further comprises a feed roll assembly package, the first and second feed rolls being received in the package such that the package limits relative movement of the feed rolls in a manner that prevents the lead end portions of the feed rolls from becoming separated from one another.